Inseam trimming machine



Feb. 11, 1941. J. M. wHELToN INSEAM TRIMMING MACHINE Filed March 5, 19403 Sheets-$heet l J. M. wHELToN 2,231,041 INSEAM TRIMMING MACHINE Feb,11, 1941.

Filed March 5. 1940 ssneets-sneet 2 Feb. 11, 1941. 1 M WHELTON INSEAMTRIMMING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed March 5, 1940 Patented Feb. 1l,1941 UNITED` STATES] :Parar ortica United Shoe Machinery Corporation,Borough of Flemington, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey `ApplieanmMarte. 5, 1940seria1Nn. 322,361

' volants. o1. 12-82) This invention relates to machinesfor trimmingth-e inseams of vwelted` shoesand is herein set forth as providingimprovements ina ma-v chine of the same general typea's that-disclosedin United States Letters Patent 1,226,872, granted May 22, v191'?, onapplication ofV `Andrew Eppler. l Y

The problemwith which the invention is concerned is due to the factthatthe thickness of the inseam is considerably greater at `the toe end of ashoe than elsewhere. The greater thickness at the toeend is due inpartto the pleats unavoidably formed in the toe-lasting operation and inpart to the presence of two additional layers of material at the toeend, name- 1y, a toe-box and a doubler. l

The present exacting standards of shoemaking require trimming the inseamof a welted shoe as closely as possible to the stitches therein.Considering that in a trimming machine of the type identified above theshoe is presented upside down to the trimming cutter, the outer portionsof the inseam stitches are higher at the toe end of a shoe thanelsewhere, that isto say, they lie at a greater distanceabove themarginal feather of the insole at the toe end because at this portion ofa "shoe there areV ii'vel layers of material superposed' upon the'marginal Y feather,

n while at portionsbeyond they-range of thetoebox'A there are onlythree'superposed vlayers'. `It follows that as the trimming cutprogresses from the heel end toward the toe end along one Side of theshoe, it maycut the'relatively high stitches at the toe end if it' is asclose* as desired tothe stitch-line where the' stitches are lower.

In the vmachine illustrated and described? in the above-mentioned patentthe outer surface of thel inseam is guided by a feed-roll that has no Kmovement except rotation, while the inner surface of the inseam isengaged by `achannelguide capable of yielding in responsetol'comparatively thick portions of the seam.` Under these conditions, whena 'comparatively' thick portion of the seam is' advanced into-contactwith the feed-roll (immovable, except its rotation) the thick portion isunavoidably crowded against the trimming cutter.` Now, since theouterportions of the stitches are higher in the relatively thickportionsofthe seam, the trimming cutter is likely to attack` themunless-something is done to relieve them frombeing crowded against thecutter. l t

To guard against cutting the stitches at the toe end, skilled operativeshave adopted the practice of elevating the heelendof the shoe andmaintaining it at an abnormally high altitudefwhile the relatively thick`part of the seam is being trimmed, and thereafter returning. it to itsnormal level. timed and executed, is capable of producing'` uniformlyclose trimming, but the raising and loweringlof the heel end is notalways correctly` timed nor of the required amplitude. Consequently,faulty-manipulation in this respect usually re` sults in uneven trimmingbut omission of all such manipulation Aresults sometimes-in cutting theouter portions of the high switches.

Thechief purpose ofi the present invention is to provide improvements inmachines of the type above `mentioned that will` insure uniformly closetrimming without specialmanipulation to counteract variations inthickness .of inseams and greater height of the stitches' in thethicker' portiorisl of the seams.`

To this end a novel feature of the improved machine herein illustratedand described is that the feed-roll that-runs on` the outer surface ofthe inseam is arranged to be capable of yielding away from thechannel-guide' in response to` increments-inthe thickness of the'- seam,while the channel-guide is'- maintained positively inta constantlocation to compel the feed-roll to yield. The ability of the feed-rollto bel displaced avoids the above-mentioned crowding of the thickerportions ofy the seam 'againstthe cutter.

\ Thel problem of insuring uniformly close trimming tofhighand `lowstitches is solved by another improvement,- namely, constraining thefeed-roll and the welt-crease guide to receivea component of upwardmovement as they are displaced bya` relatively thick portion of`theseam. This component of upward movement is calculated tocounteractthecurvature of the supple-a mental arc of the .cutting edgeY that isbrought into theiield of Ycutting by the thicker portions of the seam. Y

From the foregoing it is to be appreciated that the improvedi-eaturesmaintain the inner side of the seam lin a constant'rel'ation tothe operating segment of the cutter and, while permitting the outer sideof the seam to travel its normalpath, maintain the outer stitchhlinevata constant distance from the arc of the cutting edge.

Referring to thef drawings,

l isz afront elevation of the headl ofan inseam-trimming machineembodying the principles of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an elevationof the rotary channelguide and transmissiongearing for drivingl it;

This practice, if perfectly Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a section ofthe suction conduit through which the severed pieces of surplusmaterials areremoved from the cutter;

Fig. 4 is a vertical section of the head of the machine as Viewed fromright to left;

Fig. 4A is a side elevation of a treadle for shifting some of theelements represented in Fig. 4;

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section including a portion of the feed-rollcarrier and confronting portions of the frame by which it is flanked;

Fig. 6 is a rear elevation of a portion of the head including treadleconnections;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged scale elevation partly'in vertical sectionincludingav portion of a welted shoe, the inseam of which is inv processof being trimmed; and

Fig. 8 is a View similar to Fig. 7 in which a relatively thick portionof the inseam is.at the trimming locality.

' The'construction of the inseam of an ordinary Welted shoe risillustrated in Figs. 7. and 8,. the latter figure representing the toeportion of a shoe and including a `toe-box and a doubler, while Figr'lrepresents another portion of the shoe beyondthe range of the toe-boxand the doubler. In these figures, the following elements of the workareincluded: an insole I0, an upper II, a lining I2, a last I3, a WeltI4, a three-ply stitchreceivingrib I5 formed on the insole, and inseamstitches I5. The toe portion of the shoe (Fig. 8) includes twoadditional elements, namely, a toe-box I1 and a doubler I 8. Accordingto this iigure, it is apparent that live layers of material aresuperposed upon the marginal feather I9 of theinsole While at otherportions of the shoe only three 'superposed layers are present. A

-comparison of these views, Will show not only that the inseam isthicker Within the range of the :toe-box but also that the outerportions of thestitches I6 are a greater distance above the marginalfeather I9 where they lie on five superposed layers than where they lieon only three. The inequalities in the thickness of the inseam and thehigher'looation of the outer portions of the stitches where the inseamis relatively thick create the problems with which the present inventionis concerned.

In Figs. 7 and 8, the arcuate line 2U represents avsegment of theannular cutting edge of a rotary, tubular trimming cutter of Well-knownconstruction. The body of this cutter is indicated at 2I in Figs. 1 and4. As in former machines of this same general type, the cutter isarranged to rotate about a horizontal axis 22 and for this purpose itisaffixed to a shaft 23 journaled in an adjustable bearing xture 24. Thedirection of its rotation is indicated by an arrow in Fig. 4.Power-driven means for rotating the cutter comprises the following trainof gears, better shown in Fig. 4: a driven gear 25, an'intermediate gear26, an intermediate gear 21, and a driving gear .28. The driving gear isaffixed to a shaft 29 provided with a pulley 30 to be driven bya belt 3|(Fig. 1).

A short segment at the bottom of the cutter is used to dothe trimming.When the upturned bottom of a welted shoe is presented to this cuttingsegment, the face of the insole I0 is brought into contact with thelower end of a channelguide 35. The channel-guide requires no motion sofar as its guiding purpose is concerned but since the illustratedmachine is of the type that includes power-operated feeding mechanism,the channel-guide is rotated about a fixed axis to vfor a transmissionshaft 40 by which rotation is transmitted to the channel-guide, thedriving connection between this shaft and the spindle 36 being providedby pinions 4I and 42 (Fig, 2).

A bevel gear 43 affixed to the upper end of the shaft 40receivesrotation from a similar gear 44 aiiixed toy a shaft 38 journaled in thebushing 32.

This shaft is also provided with a bevel gear 45 (Fig. 1) that receivesrotation from a gear 46. Gears 46 and 41 (Fig. 4) both aixed to atransmission shaft 48 receive rotation from a bevel gear 49 that rotateswith the gear 21 and is connected thereto by a shaft 50.

For assembling purposes, the bearing member 31 maybe swung about 7theaxis of the shaft 38, but Whenthe parts are completely assembled intheir operative relations, this bearing member is locked against allmovement.y For this purpose, its upper portion 5I (Fig. 4) is providedwith a socket to receive a locking stud 52 that projects from anadjustable fixture 53. The member 53 is mounted on the bushing 32 andextends to the rear of the machine for connection with anchoring meansby whichv it may be adjusted for the purpose of locating thechannel-guide 35 at the desired position. The anchoring means (Fig. 4)comprises a short screw-threaded rod 54, adjusting nuts 55, a sleev'e56,a set-screw 51 by which the rod 54 is secured to the sleeve, and aset-screw 58 by which the sleeve is secured in a socket formed in theframe or head 59 of the machine. The desired` adjustment of thechannel-guide 35 is obtained by adjusting the nuts 55 up or down on therod I'pll'andv setting them up tightly against the interposed portion ofthe member 53. The channel-guide is thus maintained rigidly against allmovement except rotation with its supporting spindle 36. l

Whilegthe lower end `of the channel-guide abuts the surface of theinsole I0 to control the closeness of trimming the inseam at the innersidethereof, the'knurled or. toothed flange. 60 thereof maintains theinner surfaoeof the seam in aconstant.re1ation to oneY extremity of thecutting segmentof the cutter, and the linner portions of the `inseamstitches I6 are `maintained slightlyfbelow the cutting segment.

A feed-roll 6I of Well-known construction cooperates with thechannel-guide yto grip the inseam and to feed the work, but thisfeed-roll, instead of having a xedlocation as 'in former machines, .isprovided with an improved ymounting by which it is renderedcapable ofmoving toward and from the channel-guide in response to variationsin thethickness of the inseam. As shown in Figs. V7 and 8, this feed-roll isconcave at its upperL endto clear a non-cutting segment of the trimmingcutter and is provided with an external` frusto-conical welt-engagingband 62 on which teeth or ridges are formed toinsure apowerfulwork-feeding effect. 'I'he rim 63 of the feed-roll is thin andis arranged to engage the `outer portionsV of the stitches .I I whilethe toothed band 62 bears on the-outlying margin 'of the welt that'projects laterally from the nected by a fulcrum pin 84.

an inclined shaft 64 (Fig. 4') journaled in a` movable bearing member65. Rotation for operating the feed-roll. is transmitted to the'shaft 64from the shaft 29 by a train of connections vcomprising a worm 66, aworm-wheel 61, a shaft 68, a helical gear 69, and a helical gear 10. Theintermeshed relation of the gears 69 and 10 is such as to permit limitedmovement of the gear 10 toward the front and rear of the gear 69 withoutdisturbing their operation. Such movement of the gear 1|)` is incidentalto the to-and-ro movements of the feed-roll in response to Variations inthe thickness of the inseam.

The movable bearing member 65 is supported by a bar 1| to which it isafxed by a pin 12. This bar is arranged to slide lengthwise in fixedbearings 13 in the frame 59. To prevent rocking movement of the bearingmember 65 about the axis of the bar 1| the lower portion of the bearingmember is arranged between two hat, parallel, confronting cheeks 1.4 ofthelframe 59 (Fig. Two flat bearing faces 33 formed on the member 65engage and slide on these cheeks as the bar 1| slides in its bearings13. Ulis movable assemblage is spring-biased toward the channel-guide 35by a compression spring 15 that surrounds the bar 1| and is locatedbetween a fixed abutment 16 and a collar 11 fastened to the bar.

It is to be observed that the bar 1| is inclined and that itsinclination has the effect of producing a component of upward movementof the feed-roll 6| as the latter recedes from the channel-guide. Thiscomponent of upward movement is calculated to equalize the distance fromthe axis Iof the cutter 2| to the nip of the feedroll 6| at both limitsof its to-and-fro travel corresponding to the maximum range of variationin the thickness of an inseam. Consequently, although the cutting edge20 is circular while the line of to-and-fro travel (see broken line 18in Fig. 8) of the nip of the feed-roll is rectilinear, this range oftravel will be, to all intents and purposes, parallel with that arc ofthe cutting edge that corresponds to the range of travel. The objectiveresult is that the nip of the feedroll will insure uniform closeness oftrimming with respect to the stitchline at the outer side of the seam,regardless of variations in the thickness of the seam. Broken line 19 inFig. 8 represents the location of the axis of the feedroll when thelatter is repelled by a thick portion of the inseam, and broken line 80represents the location of the same axis when a thin portion of theinseam permits the feed-roll to advance.

A welt-crease guide 8| of well-known construction is arranged toco--operate with the band 62 of the feed-roll to grip the outlyingmargin of the welt, but, instead of being maintained in a constantlocation during operation, as in former machines, it is mounted, for thepurposes of the present invention, to partake of the to-and-fromovements of the feed-roll. The guide 8| is a freely rotatable roll ordisk and is supported by a lever 82 (Fig. 4) to which it is connected bya pivot stud 83. The lever 82 is mounted on the movable bearing member65 to which it is con- This connection provides for depressing thewelt-crease guide 8| to. facilitate inserting the Welt between it andthe feed-roll. A tension spring 85 maintains a downward pull on the rearend of the lever 82 to press the crease-guide 8| firmly against thewelt.

The illustrated machine includes a treadle 86 (Fig. 4A) and compoundconnections by which a simple' downward movement thereof will retractthe crease-guide 8| from the feed-roll 6| and thereafter retract boththe crease-guide and the feed-roll from the channel-guide 35. Althoughthe scale of Fig. 4A is smaller than that of Fig. 4 the relation ofthese views will serve well enough to illustrate the actual relation ofthe parts. The treadle is connected to the pedestal of the framestructure by a fulcrum pin 81 and is normally maintained in an elevatedposition by a tension spring 88. A rod 89 connected to the treadleextendsv upwardly through the frame and is provided `with a striker 99afxed thereto by a set-screw9l. The striker is also bored to receive aguiding rod 92 (Fig. 6) to which it is secured by a set-screw 93. Therod 92 is arranged to slide in a guiding boss 94 formed on the frame 59,and has no connection with the threaded rod 54 that appears in linetherewith in Fig. 4. When the treadle-rod 89 is depressed, the striker90 carried thereby depresses a roll 95 mounted on a lever 96, and thelever is thereby rocked on its fulcrum pin 91. A roll 98 carried byanother arm of the lever is thereby raised against the rear arm of thelever 82 with the result that the welt-crease guide 8| is depressed.

If the treadle-rod 89Y be further depressed after it has depressed thewelt-crease guide, it will retract the carrier65, 1| from thechannel-guide 35. For this purpose, the lever 96 is provided with atappet 99 that will, after traveling some distance, strike and depressan arm |00 of a bellcrank lever that comprises another arm |0|. Thisbell-crank lever is also mounted on the fulcrum pin 91, and the arm |0|is formed and arranged to straddle the rod 1| and to displace the collar11 against the applied force of the compression spring 15. Through theseconnections, the rst stage of movement of the treadle 86 merelydepresses the welt-crease guide 8| but the final stage of such movementretracts both the welt-crease guide and the feed-roll.

A suction conduit for removing severed pieces of surplus material fromthe cutter comprises a stationary section |02 (Fig. l), an intermediatesection |03 and a receiving nozzle |04 (Fig. 4). The receiving nozzle ismounted on the bearing member 65 and partakes of the to-andfro motionsof the latter. Consequently, to avoid interference with such motion, thenozzle |04 and the intermediate member |03 are provided with at abuttingfaces that lie in a vertical plane parallel with the path of movement ofthe nozzle. The vertical abutting face of the intermediate member |03 isindicated at |05 in Fig. 3. This intermediate member is also providedwith a hinge formation |06 complemental to a corresponding hingeformation |01 on the frame 59. The hinge construction provides forswinging the member |03 away from the cutter to clear out large chipsthat may become clogged. The members |02 and |03 are therefore providedwith abutting flat faces that permit the described movement of thehinged member and close the suction passageway when the parts occupytheir operative positions.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States ls:

1. In an inseam-trimming machine of the type in which the materialsforming the inseam of a welted shoe are gripped and guided to thecutting segment of a rotary tubular cutter by a,

channel-guide and a Welt-engaging feed-roll while the outlying margin ofthe Welt is guided by confronting the portions of said feed-roll and awelt-crease guide, the improvements comprising means by which saidchannel-guide is secured in a constant position adjacent to said cuttingsegment, spring-biased means including a movable bearing by which saidfeed-roll is carried to and fro in response to variations in thethickness of the inseam and constrained to maintain a Workfeeding gripthereon, and power-driven means arranged to operate said feed-roll inits various positions. Y

2. An inseam-trimming machine as specified in claim 1 in which saidspring-biased means is arranged to equalize the distance from the axisof said cutter to the nip of said feed-roll at both limits of itsto-and-fro travel corresponding to the range of variation in thethickness of the inseam.

3. An inseam-trimming machine as specied in claim 1 in which saidWelt-crease guide is also carried by said spring-biased means to partakeof the to-and-fro motions of said feed-roll in V response to variationsin the thickness of the inseam. f

4. An inseam-trimming machine as specified in claim 1 in which saidWelt-crease guide is carried byan individually movable spring-biasedmeans carried by the spring-biased means first mentioned and therebyconstrained to press the outlying margin of the welt against saidfeedroll. f

5. An inseam-trimming machine as specied in claim 1 comprising a treadleand connections operable thereby to retract said Welt-crease guide fromsaid feed-roll and to retract both the Weltcrease guide and thefeed-roll from said channel-guide. n 5 6. An inseam-trimming machine asspeced n claim 1 in which said channel-guide is a roll maintained on afixed axis of rotation, and comprising power-driven means arranged torotate it in a direction to supplement the feeding 10 effect of saidWelt-engaging feed-roll.

7. An inseam-trimming machine comprising a tubular cutter arranged torotate about a horizontal axis and having an annular` cutting edge,

a channel-guide maintained in a constant loca- 15 tion adjacent to thelowest point of s-aid cutting edge to be engaged by the upturned bottomof the insole and by the inner surface of the inseam of a welted shoe, aWelt-crease guide, a feed-roll formed and arranged to co-operate with 20said channel-guide to grip the inseam at the stitch-line and with saidWelt-crease guide to grip the outlying margin of the Welt, a carrier byWhich said Welt-crease guide and said feed-roll are carried toward andfrom said channel-guide, 25 means by which said carrier is constrainedto impart a component of upward movement to said feed-roll and saidwelt-crease guide as they recede from said channel-guide, resilientmeans arranged to maintain pressure of said feed-rol against the inseam,and power-driven means arranged to rotate said feed-roll.

JOHN M. WHELTON.

